The Dueling Adversaries
by Rhyainn
Summary: A Beedle The Bard tale...can you find the modern influence? :D


(So, this is a Beedle The Bard-ish tale that I wrote...for class. That's right! For school! XD Figured I'd put it up here, since it is sorta a fanfic. Anyway...enjoy!)

The Dueling Adversaries

Once, in a far-off land, there stood two towns that had been at war for longer than even the oldest man in each could remember. Although no one in either town knew for sure how the fighting began, every person, down to the youngest child, swore that the war was without a doubt the fault of the rivaling town.

It came to pass that a young warlock, who had taught himself the art of magic, realized that he would be hailed far and wide as a hero if he could stop the war. This warlock had been orphaned at a young age and lived alone. At the same time, an old wizard in the rival town, whose family name had, in recent years, lost favor amongst his fellow townspeople, realized that he could restore his family honor and wealth if he brought the towns together. Although this wizard had grown up in a large family, his parents and siblings were long dead. He had never married, and so he lived alone as well.

Both the young warlock and the old wizard placed disguises over themselves and traveled across the barren field that divided the two towns. The wizard, who was quite clever and very learned in the ways of magical manipulation, had determined that the best way to end the war was to bewitch the people of each town into forgetting their quarrel. The warlock, who was skilled in offensive and destructive magic, had decided to simply frighten the towns into compliance with his demands.

The two men met each other on their way to the opposing town. The young warlock, who was impatient to implement his plan and receive his reward, spoke rudely to the wizard.

"Step aside, old man, and remember whom you pass on this day," he said. "My name shall soon be spoken with praise from every mouth throughout this land!"

The wizard, who was himself a very proud man, responded sharply. "You foolish little boy, learn to respect your elders and betters! Mine is the name you should be remembering, and remember to speak it with reverence." With this, he motioned for the young man to step out of his way, though there was no path and each was simply walking through the field.

The warlock was known in his town for having a quick temper, and the wizard's words infuriated him. Without hesitation, he drew out his wand.

"Feeble old man, I will make sure no one speaks your name again by killing you here and now!"

"Arrogant brat!" The wizard drew his wand as well. "If you are so anxious to die then I will grant your wish."

The two men started dueling furiously. Although the warlock was without a doubt the more powerful of the two, his attacks were careless and wild. The wizard was clever and took advantage of his opponent's careless mistakes. However, neither was able to land a definitive blow.

Their duel continued throughout the day and into the night as each man refused to yield. Sometime during the night, a deflected spell lit the field on fire. The blaze caught the attention of the people in each town, who hurried out of their homes to investigate.

Amazed by the spectacular show of magic before them and excited to see who would be the victor, the townspeople watched the two dueling wizards until sunrise. However, even after the sun had risen the two men showed no signs of stopping their duel. In fact, they seemed to be battling even more ferociously than when they had begun.

The townspeople became curious about the two wizards' battle. What sort of grudge could cause two men to hate one another with such passion? They called out to them, asking who they were and why they were engaged in such a furious duel. The wizards, however, were too engaged in their battle to answer or even listen to their words.

Soon, the two men's spells were so powerful that they sailed over the watching townspeople's heads and began landing close to the buildings of the villages.

The townspeople shouted for the wizards to stop their duel, but the men only battled more and more fiercely. As their spells began to land in the villages, damaging houses and shops, the townspeople ran back to their homes. But by then, the towns were both burning. The townspeople gathered the belongings they could carry, rushing to help each other.

Together, they escaped the blaze and ran as far from the dueling wizards as they could. The village elders spoke to one another as they made plans to construct a new town.

"What arrogant men those were," they said to each other, "battling over who-knows-what without a care for the safety of the people around them."

The town, with the combined work of the villagers, grew and prospered. Mothers told their children the story of the two dueling wizards for years to come, though no one in the town ever found out what became of them.

And the first tombstones in the new cemetery bore the names of a young boy and an old man whom the villagers believed had died in the blaze that brought their towns together.


End file.
